[2025 Anuradhapura Attraction] Travel Guide for Anuradhapura (Updated Apr)

The UNESCO world heritage site of Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka is justifiably famous, but sadly the extortionate ticket prices put it out of our budget. Instead, we enjoyed a lovely day cycling around the less famous ancient temples centred around a beautiful tank (reservoir) to the south of the main park. One of my favourite things to do when travelling is to hop on a bike and explore on two wheels. Anuradhapura is pretty flat so it's easy to cycle around, and you get a much more local experience, while also saving money/ hassle on tuktuks. #srilanka #anuradhapura #biketrip #cyclingday #passionpassport #budgettravel

this splendid complex has been hidden in the jungles for many years before to be discovered…it was abandon due to an invasion in 1017. Was the political and religious capital of SriLanka for more than 1400 years. The center of the sacred city is a Buddha’s fig tree planted in 3 BC, king Vijayan is the one that designed the city. #2023travelwish #lucaworldtraveler

One of Sri Lanka's famous products that you must try is Ceylon Tea. We will take everyone to see the beginning of Ceylon tea production at Geragama Tea Factory, a famous tea factory in Kandy. Here we will see the production process of fine Ceylon tea, from selecting tea buds to sorting each type of tea before packaging. In addition, the factory also has a shop zone for tourists to choose to buy Ceylon tea as souvenirs, including a demonstration of tea brewing. I must say that anyone who already loves drinking tea will definitely enjoy it. #Waiting for the day to travel

Red Mosque or "Jami Ul Alfar Mosque" is a famous Ig Spot of Sri Lanka. I believe that many people must have seen pictures of this Red Mosque through many world-famous travel IGs. This mosque is considered a very beautiful and unique architecture. Built in 1909, it uses alternating red and white in horizontal stripes. Looking at it, it looks like candy colors. It also has a magnificent design. It is suitable to use as a background for taking pictures to capture memories back from Sri Lanka. #Waiting for the day to travel

🌈Highlights: Negombo, a small town by the sea, is the first stop for many tourists arriving in Sri Lanka due to its proximity to the airport. Many people first experience the unique charm of Lanka here. Since we arrived in Lanka in the morning, we directly transferred to Anuradhapura. After wandering around for ten days, we finally returned here. The geographical advantage has not changed the flavor of this small town. Watching the locals leisurely strolling on the streets, the town's calm and tranquility remain its main theme. Negombo is by the sea on one side, and the main road is lined with many unique restaurants. Most people play on the beach during the day, and the restaurants and bars become lively at night. ✅ Walking all the way to St. Sebastian's Church, this is a beautiful Gothic church. It is said to be the most beautiful church in Negombo, with the foundation ceremony presided over by the then Archbishop of Colombo, Peter Mackey. Although it is not as famous as St. Mary's Church in Negombo, the exquisite level of this building is slightly higher. The church is still well-preserved, with a large square around it. There are basically no tourists, only a few believers and locals sitting and chatting, making it very suitable for a leisurely walk or quiet meditation. ✅ Walking to the beach, besides the scenery, there is also a taste of life. The sand is not very fine, and there are not many tourists on the beach in the evening, mostly locals working or strolling. 🚗 Lanka Travel Route: Most people choose to stay in Negombo for a rest upon arrival in Lanka, and then start a circular tour. I arrived at around nine in the morning, so I planned to take a car directly to the farther Anuradhapura and then slowly play my way back. 🚌 Transportation: From the airport, you can take a tuk-tuk to the booked hotel. When leaving for the airport, you can arrange with the tuk-tuk driver in advance to pick you up. 🏠 Accommodation Information: Accommodation in Negombo is mainly concentrated along Beach Road, with many hotels and guesthouses. The place is not big, so you can find a place by walking along the main street or into the alleys, or you can book in advance online.

Near the Bodhi Temple, there is a huge brick-red stupa. When you ride a tutu car through the fields, you can intermittently see this stupa standing tall in the vastness. When you get closer, you will be shocked by its height and huge volume. This stupa in Sinhalese means Abhayagiri Stupa, also known as Fearless Mountain Stupa, one of the most magnificent stupas in Anuradhapura. In the first century BC, King Vattagamani Abhaya ordered the construction of this stupa, which was said to be 110 meters high at that time, almost as high as the Ruwanwelisaya Stupa, although now only a bare stupa remains, it was only a part of the overall temple architecture at that time. According to records, the temple could accommodate 5,000 monks at that time. The famous Chinese monk Faxian had studied and researched Buddhist scriptures here. Now it is about 75 meters high. 🌟Highlights: In Buddhist history, Fearless Mountain Stupa not only represents a temple, but also a unique historical record, tradition and sect of life philosophy. This was the main temple of Mahayana Buddhism in Sri Lanka at that time. By the third century AD, King Mahasena's support policy allowed Fearless Mountain to reach its peak. It had all the elements that a temple should have: Buddha Hall, Stupa, Bodhi Tree Temple, Library, Chanting Hall, Living Area, Dining Hall, Bath, and even developed road traffic and water diversion systems. By the twelfth century, there was a power conflict between Mahayana Buddhism centered here and Theravada Buddhism centered on the Great Temple. The king at that time suppressed Mahayana Buddhism, and then Mahayana Buddhism began to disappear in Sri Lanka. After thousands of years of wind and rain, now these buildings are basically only the base or completely disappeared, blending with the lush wild grass and old trees around. ✅The achievement of Fearless Mountain is also reflected in the exquisite architecture and sculpture art, among which the most prominent are the Moon Stone and the Guardian Stone. 📝tips: ✅The attractions in the ancient city of Anuradhapura are relatively scattered, generally choose to pack tutu, if you have good physical strength and are not afraid of the sun, you can also rent a bicycle. ✅You need to take off your shoes to enter the temple. If you are afraid that the ground is too hot, you can prepare a pair of socks. Although there are dress requirements for visiting each stupa, they are generally not checked too strictly, but the inspection of the Bodhi Temple is slightly strict. 🗓Itinerary: Most people's choice when they first arrive in Lanka should be to stay in Negombo for rest. I arrived at more than nine in the morning, so I plan to take a bus directly to Anuradhapura and then play slowly. 🚌Major traffic: First take a tutu from the airport to Negombo bus station, there is an air-conditioned minibus to Kurunegala, 210 rupees per person, and then transfer to Anuradhapura. Kurunegala is an important transportation hub, the cars are parked in a mess, if you want to take a few buses, just ask a ticket seller, they will tell you. 🚲Minor traffic: At first we bargained with the homestay brother and rented two bicycles for 700 rupees a day. The next morning, a Korean sister from the same homestay said she had already contacted a tutu, 2000 rupees for six hours, if three people can share, hesitated and decided to take a tutu. The fact proves that although the bicycle is cheap and free, if you choose again, tutu is more comfortable. 🏠Accommodation information: When you get off the bus in Anuradhapura, it feels like you are on the side of the road. Since there is no reservation, it took ten minutes to find GH. The place is not big, you can walk along the main street, or you can book in advance online.

Getting There - Attractions - Hotels - Food & Restaurants - Shopping -

St. Bodhi is undoubtedly the center of Anura's geography and spirit. The focus of the believers and Buddha visits. According to legend, in the third century BC, the princess of the Moh, the son of Ashoka, brought the branches of the Bodhi tree of Sakyamuni into the royal garden. This St. Bodhi tree is one of the oldest trees recorded in history. This leafy tree is now surrounded by layers of high-rise auditoriums. The believers and tourists can't enter it. They can only send the gift of worship to the hands of the gift-holders before they are enshrined in the tree. . Occasionally the local family, the male owner gave the rich tribute to the gift holder, after the words in the mouth, put his hand on the daughter's head, pray for the daughter to remove the disaster. After the ceremony, the ceremony holder returned the basket of tribute, and the family thanked him sincerely.

Located in the holy city of Anuradhapura in northern Sri Lanka, it is a sacred and great holy place in the hearts of local people. Every day, many Sri Lankan locals come to the mountains to pilgrimage. In the most magnificent temple in the city, it has a huge oval stupa and a quiet garden view. Walk through it and feel the peace and harmony.

In the 3rd century BC, the founder of the Sri Lankan Buddhist Nun Association, Sanhamita, brought a branch cut from the Buddhist "Enlightenment Tree" fig tree back to Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka), centered on the fig branch The holy city of Anuradhapura was established. The holy city of Anuradhapura was once the political and religious center of Ceylon, with a glorious history of more than 1,300 years. In 993 AD, this holy city was abandoned due to the invasion of foreign enemies. After many years of hiding in the dense jungle, the site of this ancient holy city has been re-discovered. Her magnificent palace, the temple of Xuan Ang, shows the world the glory of the ancient city of Anuradhapura. Excursions here are similar to the Angkor Wat complex. The attractions here are scattered and there are a lot of free to browse after purchasing a valid 25-knife pass. Chartered and tuktuk are good choices. The most representative Stupa are dome-shaped tips, varying in size, white and brown. [Entering the "Fomen Gate" requires bare feet, no bare legs and bare shoulders, similar to the Thai Buddhist Temple. At noon, the sun shines directly on the ground. It is recommended to bring a pair of cotton socks to insulate. is a devout believer who is praying or gathering. Unlike this quiet, the small monkeys are jumping up and down on the wire and railings. They are extremely strong and make a loud noise, sometimes even Some are afraid that they will fly to themselves.

Anuradhapura is the oldest city in Sri Lanka with a history of more than two thousand years. The reliance of the linden tree in Figure 3 was transplanted from the Bodhi tree that was realized by the Buddha of Bodhgaya in India. Later, the tree of Bodhgaya died and was transplanted from the tree. This may be a kind of reincarnation. The ancient city and the faith are blended here, and sometimes silence is also a kind of life.